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Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream

 

Typing this I can officially say I haven’t had sugar since Christmas, ha! (That’s only 3 full days if you’re counting 😉 After Christmas I usually get the itch to ditch the processed, sugary foods. This year has been no different… trying to cut out sugar but wanted to make a treat for my family. (And I’ve been on a cake kick.) I decided to make this Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I cannot tell you how delicious it was! I was so impressed with the flavor, even though it’s all sugar free.

 

I’ve researched about lots of different sugar free sweeteners and Stevia seems to be a great substitute – it is a sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the Stevia plant, native to Brazil and Paraguay. Yes, it is sweet, but it is also completely natural. I’m glad I went with these Stevia sweeteners below which are 1) dry Steviva for the cake and the meringue, and 2) liquid KetoseSweet for the frosting – we literally couldn’t taste any difference between these and real sugar. No aftertaste. And the best part is a tiny bit goes a long way. My husband was so surprised this cake and frosting has no sugar. Really, it’s so delicious. It can easily be made #keto as well by subbing your favorite non grain flours (coconut flour, almond flour, etc.).  Also the cake just happens to be vegan too, so it’s a great cake for anyone on special diets. (Click here to see my other vegan recipes.)

If you need a lightened up treat this new year, this Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream is amazing! Honestly the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream was so light and fluffy. After doing some research and trial and error, I decided to use a Swiss Meringue to get the volume in the frosting without having any powdered sugar. It takes a little more work than normal buttercream but it’s SO GOOD. Almost like a chocolate mousse. Tell me you’ll try it?

Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Author Shannon Lyon | Plum Street Collective

Ingredients

Sugar Free Chocolate Cake

  • 2 1/2 c. flour (can sub nut flours to make it keto)
  • 1 c. dry Steviva sugar substitute (if using real sugar, you need to double to 2 c.)
  • 2/3 c. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 c. warm water
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2/3 c. oil
  • 2 tsp. vinegar

Sugar Free Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 4 egg whites
  • 2/3 c. dry Steviva sugar substitute (if using real sugar, double amount)
  • 3/4 c. butter, melted (1.5 sticks)
  • 1/2 c. liquid Stevia, KetoseSweet
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • fresh fruit of choice for topping

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 8/9 inch cake pans with butter and parchment paper or spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry cake ingredients. Then add the remaining ingredients in order, mixing with a large spoon.
  • Be sure to add the ingredients in order. Because there are no eggs in the batter, the vinegar should go in last to react with the baking soda and help the cake to rise.
  • Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake on the same rack for 17-20 minutes, until cake springs back slightly when you touch the top.
  • Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then turn out of pans onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the cooked cake layers in the freezer to cool before frosting. (Can also make ahead of time and freeze layers until ready to frost and serve.)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • The first step to making a Swiss Meringue is to heat up the egg whites and dry sweetener. In a double boiler set on medium heat or a bowl set over a pan of boiling water, gently whisk egg whites and 2/3 c. of the dry Steviva together.
  • Whisk together until all sugar crystals are dissolved. The best way to ensure this is to feel a little bit of the mixture to make sure it's not grainy. Continue whisking until all the Stevia is dissolved.
    Then transfer to a stand mixer bowl, or a large bowl with a hand mixer.
  • Whisk in a stand mixer (or with hand mixer) with whisk attachment on medium speed until mixture is completely cool. It will take several minutes. Feel bowl to see if it's cool.
  • While that mixture is whisking and cooling in the stand mixer, prepare your chocolate and butter. Melt butter in medium sized bowl and whisk cocoa powder into it. Be sure to whisk well to make sure there are no clumps of cocoa powder.
  • Once smooth, add liquid Stevia to chocolate mixture and continue to whisk until incorporated.
  • Once egg white mixture is cool and stiff peaks are forming, you are ready to slowly add the chocolate mixture. Very slowly drizzle the chocolate mixture into the egg white mixture, while mixer whisks on a low speed. (The mixture will fall a but but if you add the chocolate slowly it will still have some air in it.)
  • As soon as the chocolate is fully incorporated, remove frosting from mixer bowl, transfer to a medium sized bowl and place in fridge to chill.
  • While that's chilling, whip up the 1 c. of heavy cream into a thick whipped cream (stiff peaks). Once it's thick, slowly fold it into the chocolate frosting mixture with a spatula. Fold until the whipped cream is completely incorporated. Chill until ready to frost the cake. The frosting is so light and fluffy, you'll hardly believe it's sugar free!
  • Once cakes have chilled, frost with chocolate frosting. Add any fresh fruit you'd like. Serve immediately or chill until serving. This frosting is so light you won't want to frost it too early so it doesn't fall. Enjoy this sugar free chocolate cake! 

 

The best part about sugar substitutes is the cake tastes lighter. We love this Sugar Free Chocolate Cake & Swiss Meringue Buttercream so much! Perfect for your New Year’s Eve celebrations or your New Year’s resolutions. Be sure to tag me @plumstreetcollective if you make it!

Happy (Sugar Free) Baking!

#steviva #sweetandeasy

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